Choosing a recipe app: I like Inspired Eats

In May, the Apple store approved its 500,000th app at iTunes, with more than 10 billion downloaded as of January 2011. (Wow, my mind is having trouble getting around those numbers.) Recipe apps seem hot, too; early-adopter Epicurious now has 5 million downloads, and Cooking Light just announced their app.

But if, like me, you just want something simple and reliable for recipe ideas—and until Delicious Living comes out with its own app (yes, we’ve talked about it, so I hope it happens)—I wholeheartedly recommend the new Inspired Eats app by my friend and longtime Delicious Living contributor Lisa Turner.

On a test drive of her new Inspired Eats app this week, I immediately loved how simple and intuitive it is; you can search by category (entrees or salads, for example), by ingredient (based on what looks good at the store that day), or even by specific condition or need (e.g., gluten free). Once you’ve chosen parameters, the app takes you to a selection of her recipes that match. Pick one that sounds good, tap, and the recipe appears.

After you choose a recipe, the app can generate a shopping list right then and there. And if you love it, you can tag it as one of “My Favorites,” which stores it for later reference.

The symbol on iTunes is The Healthy Gourmet. It’s a static app, meaning it works even if you don’t have a internet access. At $0.99 per download, it’s certainly priced right. If you try it, let me know what you think!